U.S. Cluster Mapping defines U.S traded clusters and local clusters

Submitted by Eva Fadil on 10 October 2017

Despite their importance, the cluster organisations in the U.S. are not as institutionalised as in the EU. Nevertheless, there are numerous clusters that are represented by a formal cluster organisation and tend to be supported by local Economic Development Agencies (EDA’s), whereas some others are part of public and/or private organisations (e.g. Federal Agencies, Industry Associations, etc.) that aim to promote competitiveness and innovation in the sector.  

The U.S. Cluster Mapping provides over 50 million open data records on industry clusters and regional business environments in the U.S. to promote economic growth and national competitiveness.  It is an initiative led by Harvard Business School's Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Economic Development Administration.

According to the U.S. Cluster Mapping, there are:

  • U.S. traded clusters (national and international) in 51 different sectors. Traded clusters are those that concentrate in particular regions that provide competitive advantages but sell products or services across regions and countries. Examples of traded clusters include financial services in New York City, information technology in Silicon Valley, and video production and distribution in Los Angeles. Traded clusters usually represent a mix of companies of various sizes that by definition go international.
  • U.S. local clusters in 16 different sectors. Local clusters sell products and services primarily for the local market. The local clusters represent a wide range of sectors such as: local entertainment including video rental services and movie theatres; local health services including drug stores and hospitals; and local commercial services including drycleaners.

Find out more here.

Third Country
United States of America
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